Reviewed by Frédéric Hoffert

The intro make a link with the first Samurai Shodown. We see all the characters, in their preparation of the new fight. But, we see some change about some character knowned in Samurai Shodown. Here's these change :

- First, Wan fu hasn't got his scimitar, but a large rock that he use as weapon,
- Tam Tam is not present (?) In fact, it's wrong ! Because he's with Cham Cham in monkey form,
- We see that Tachibana Ukyo is very very ill. His illness : the Tuberculosis makes him very weak and he doesn't speak enough (in comparison with the first Samurai Shodown),
- Nakoruru seems to be younger, but, she's already pretty !

Here's an opinion about the new one :

- Genjuro is THE rival of Haomaru. He's very agressive and can hardly calm down,
- Nicotine is the comic point of the game ! Knowned as the mentor of Haomaru and Genjuro, we have to move extremely carefully, because is a good fighter (when I fight him with Nakoruru, it was the defeat of the youth against the old age...),
- Sieger is brutal and strong. It's hard to win against him and his flamming fist is a strong weapon,
- Cham Cham help Paku Paku, a monkey who is Tam Tam. We see it in his reaction.

There is new change for the video. First the sprites are better and very well animated. I don't know how, but when you fight against a CPU opponent, he makes some strange action (Nakoruru put away again her ribbon in her hair, Charlotte thrown a rose, Wan fu hit his head on his weapon... and loose vitality...). Also, there are change in the decor. For example, in Versaille, we see a fresco which relate the fight of the samurai (we see Nakoruru, Galford, Haomaru...). Or we see Rimururu when we fight against Nakoruru...

Now, the "victory words" are more appropriate (for Nakoruru, it's "I must hurry, or the world will be destroyed by the evil power..."). Here's some novelty :

- When the warrior get a lot of powerful damage, he become unconscious (It was the same thing in the first SS, but it was more rare). Some warrior (the real one) never hit their opponent when he become unconscious...
- When a warrior is too angry (ful POW), he's enabled to release a powerful attack. And it's the great novelty of the game !
- Unfortunatly, it's rare to make a "face to face" (when each warrior try to gain advantage against the other => One loose his weapon !). And it's more rare to broke his weapon !
- Nicotine is a special character, because some of his technics of combat are very funny (Ex : He can grasp to someone for puffing his breath (Maybe the poor victim think that it's a disgusting reaction !).

The sword play is the same, with various things (see it on the novelty). All of the character present in the first SS have some new technics (Nakoruru can use her magical cloak, she can project her opponent in the air...). The sound are better and good. A player who like to use Nakoruru for the fight could be surprised because her voice make her too younger ! Galford has a voice that is more "Americain" ! The end is very very sad for those of you, guy, who love Galford or Nakoruru (not a chance for me ! I love the two character !). Galford have a crush on Nakoruru and going to tell her, but unfortunatly, she has to sacrified her life for restaure the trouble caused by the dark power... It's very, very sad...

In few word, I think that this game is really good (and probably better than the first one !). I give him a 17/20. If you like the other, you will like this one.